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Sunday, September 11, 2011

Looking Back Over 10 Years

On Sunday, October 7th, 2001, I ran my first marathon. I gathered with over 30,000 other runners in the streets of Chicago less than a month after the World Trade Center attack. I still remember the underlying anxiety that filled the crowd while we waited for the race to start. We had all spent countless hours watching the attacks on t.v. and it was all to easy to imagine something horrible happening with so many people gathered in one place.

Most professional sporting events draw crowds that big all the time but it's much easier to maintain security as people enter a stadium. On the day of the marathon, tens of thousands of runners crowded the streets and over a million spectators lined the course. You just can't secure an event like that.

All of those concerns dissolved shortly after the race started and several times during the four hour run, I found myself feeling truly blessed for the opportunity to cross the marathon off of my list of life challenges.

This year is the first time since 2001 that I won't be running the Chicago Marathon. I ran it for 10 consecutive years and decided to sit it out this year so I could move on to new races. Today is also the 10-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In less than two months, I'll be in New York City for the first time and I know that toeing the line on Race Day is going to be reminiscent of my first marathon in Chicago.

Today, they released warnings that there are new and "credible" threats that could involve car bombs in New York and DC. I can't help but wonder if the crowd of runners will be feeling that same tension as we did in 2001. I can't help but wonder how ten years passed so quickly and so many things feel like they haven't changed.

SundayGoal For The Day: Long Run. (Skipped.)
Distance: 0.00 Miles.

Notes: We're in Kansas City for Dan and Stephanie's wedding reception. It's been a great weekend and today just seemed like a good day to sleep in. Then with church, family time, and the drive home, I didn't make time for my run. This was my recovery week anyway so I was only scheduled for 6 miles. I thought about making up the distance tomorrow but I start the serious mileage this week so I'll probably take the day off as scheduled.

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About Me

I started running in 7th grade track and I was horrible. But I Loved it... I stuck with it... and now it has become a lifelong passion. I'm always looking for a new challenge and a new adventure. This is my record of the fun I have along the way.